WITH yet another record entry in both the White Peak Marathon and half-marathon, Matlock Athletics Club are hoping for fine weather on Saturday May 17.
Both these races are unique in being accurately measured to AAA standards, despite being entirely off-road.
The 26-miler starts at Thorpe and follows the Tissington Trail to Parsley Hay where runners turn down the High Peak Trail towards the Cromf
ord Canal and the distant finish at Matlock Rugby Club.
Starting at the same time of 11am, but 13 miles down the line at Friden, the half-marathoners will have missed out the climb to 1,300ft and merely have to contend with the 800 foot descent down the three inclines, but a few of the tailenders always have to struggle to avoid being overtaken by the leaders of the full marathon before they reach Cromford Meadows.
Runners have entered from all over the country and include the former winner Jeremy Bateman, of Ripley, and Matlock’s own Rob Atkin, a former runner-up.
Other Matlock runners include Bill Willis, who has been training hard, and in the half, Jenny Reed and Stephanie Spencer should run well, with Clive Russell aiming to win the veteran 60 category 31 years after he finished second in the inaugural race.
For many clubs this is the race of the year and again there are large block entries from Ripley, Barnsley, Havering and Totley, but Wootton top the list with a massive 21runners.
The race’s national reputation is underlined by the generous sponsorship of the British Orienteering Federation, the Keep On Running organisation and John Palin Ltd, who always provide healthy refreshments to the finishers.
l A NUMBER of Matlock’s younger runners will be competing at this weekend’s Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county championships in Nottingham. Josh Moody will run in both the 800m and 1500m in the U17 boys age group, while George Tighe and Jonathan Doull, Katie Doull and Leanne Smith will also be running both races in their categories.
Fiona Gilbert and Jenny Reed will take on the 3,000m in their respective age fields, while Hayley Cameron will run in the U20 1500m.
Josh Moody was second to Grindleford’s Joe Gratton in the U18 Anniversary Waltz Fell Race, near Keswick, in Cumbria, but George Tighe produced the best result, winning the U12 event.
On the track in Manchester, Jonathan Doull, was second in the 800m, completing the race in 2.13.4.
The full article contains 421 words and appears in Matlock Mercury newspaper.
